In a world of SUVs and crossovers, it's easy to forget the more conventional estate, says Kyle Fortune in AutoExpress. But the BMW 5 Series Touring reminds us "there's life in the wagon yet". This latest version has a bigger boot than its predecessors, and one that can lug more weight. There's a maximum of 1,700 litres of space with the rear seats folded (570 with them up) and the load limit is up to 750kg. That's not as big as the Mercedes E-Class Estate, but the Touring has always been "the load-lugger of choice for keen drivers".
The 520d model, the "mainstay of the range", is brisk, says Fortune: the 0-62mph dash takes just 7.8 seconds, and you're "rarely left wanting for speed" on the motorway. On country roads, it "exhibits the agility we've come to expect" from the 5 Series, with sharp handling and "nicely direct" steering. The engine's economical, too, giving 62.7mpg on official figures and emitting just 114g/km of carbon dioxide. That gives it a competitive 24% tax rating for company car drivers. This "could well be the perfect family car".
It might look a bit dull, but it's a "solidly excellent" car, says Richard Bremner in The Daily Telegraph. It is "library quiet" to drive and the "richly finished" interior is well equipped with high-tech features, including BMW's iDrive infotainment system, a lane-keeping assistant that nudges a drifting car back into line, and an "excellent head-up display" that projects key information onto the windscreen. The engine in the 520d "pulls with smooth conviction", but the six-cylinder 530d is "decisively swifter" and delivers the sporting drive you'd expect of a BMW. It's a "mighty impressive" car.
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Even the entry-level SE model comes with luxuries such as sat-nav, leather seats, xenon headlights and climate control, says What Car. "It's our favourite large estate: classy, spacious, refined and well-equipped."
Price: £38,385 (for the 520d Touring SE model)Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder dieselPower: 187bhp at 4,000rpmTorque: 295 lb ft at 1,750rpmTop speed: 139mph0-62mph: 7.8 seconds
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